Netlist absolute vs relative file path names

#1

I currently have absolute file paths in my netlist. I have several references like the one noted below. The project is publicly shared and I would prefer to share the netlist as well as I do not want to expose my personal PC’s file structure. Can I get the netlist to be relative or some how remove the absolute part of the file name from the references as noted below?

(source C:\Users\myaccount\Desktop\blahblahblah.sch)

(uri C:\Users\myaccount\Desktop\blahblahblah.lib))

Current KiCAD is 5.1.5-3 on Win10 64bit.

#2

How do you share the project? The netlist can be generated from eeschema at any time, so there’s no need to share the netlist. It’s not even needed for eeshcema/pcbnew data exchange nowadays.

I don’t think there’s a way to affect the netlist internals, unless you create a new “generator”, which I guess is an external program which reads the schematic file and generates a new file.

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#3

Shared with git, I’m aware of the source vs compiled drama’s. It would appear the use of the netlist file has changed over the years. I see you can now view without the netlist being present. It seems if you make changes you still need the netlist, but the PCB and schematic seem to contain the information to do net highlights, etc. With it allowing viewing of the schematic and PCB, there really isn’t any need to share this file. If they make changes they have to create the file.

Thank you for the note “It’s not even needed for eeshcema/pcbnew data exchange nowadays.” I did not know this had changed.

#4

Tools -> Update PCB from Schematic does the same thing as “export netlist -> read netlist” workflow did earlier. The latter can still be used but is unnecessary.

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#5

The netlist really should no longer be used to communicate between eeschema and pcbnew. As @eelik wrote this is what the update pcb from schematic tool is there for.

The netlist is kept around to allow users to use other tools than eeschema to interface with pcbnew.

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#6

You could setup a git ignore for the netlist file extension. That way if you forget the modern workflow and out of habit use the older workflow you won’t accidentally expose your PC’s file structure through the netlist file. If someone else using your design really needs that netlist for interfacing with a 3rd party tool they can generate the netlist themselves.

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